Warrington Wolves’ milestone man marks achievement with special showing against Leeds Rhinos

Warrington Wolves star Matt Dufty had a milestone to celebrate on Thursday night, and celebrate he did with a terrific showing as they beat Leeds Rhinos at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Scoring two first-half tries, the Australian helped Sam Burgess’ side to a 30-18 victory on home soil, with that their third win in a row and one which takes them up to 2nd on the Super League ladder – at least temporarily.

But those two tries were just the tip of the iceberg in an impressive performance from Dufty, who made his 150th senior career appearance.

Joining the Wolves midway through the 2022 campaign, he’s now featured 56 times in their colours, adding to 12 in the first half of that year for Canterbury Bulldogs, and 82 for St George Illawarra Dragons between 2017 & 2021.

WIRE: Matty Nicholson explains NRL move as Warrington Wolves receive ‘significant’ transfer fee

Warrington Wolves’ milestone man marks achievement with special showing against Leeds Rhinos

By far and away the most of anyone on the field on Thursday night, Super League’s top metre maker topped the charts again – ending the evening with 199 to his name in the space of 23 carries.

Only Leeds’ Brodie Croft (27) took in more carries than that, with Dufty’s Wire team-mate George Williams making the same number as the full-back.

Dufty also made an eye-catching 12 tackle busts, with opposite number Lachie Miller only managing eight on the night, and nobody else getting close to hitting that figure.

In a game which Warrington seemed to win at a canter despite a relatively close scoreline, the 28-year-old was at his scintillating best, pipped to the man of the match award by Wolves youngster Matty Nicholson.

And despite not scooping an award post-match, Dufty was on press duty for the club’s in-house ‘WireTV‘ channel, detailing how a switch in mentality this term has seen him excel under the tutelage of head coach Burgess.

As the Man of Steel leaderboard went dark following Round 16, the Australian sat joint-top with 18 points, tied with Salford Red Devils playmaker Marc Sneyd.

Dufty said: “I think this is the year I’ve been most consistent, and obviously Sammy’s doing a great job. He’s keeping me in the game and he’s a great coach to play for.

“I’m doing it for the team and for the town this year, and that’s the difference.

“You buy into the town, they love footy, everything is Warrington Wolves.

“Consistency’s key for me at the moment. Doing it for a few weeks here and there is good, but doing it for the whole year, it really helps the team.”

All statistics correct at the time of writing according to Super League’s official website

TRANSFER NEWS: Every Super League transfer already confirmed for 2025 and beyond with 21 deals finalised